The intermodal facility, set up under act 690 of 1999, is designed to unite regional entities, like the cities of Monticello and Warren and Drew and Bradley Counties, to work together to facilitate economic development.

The most important phrases included in the ceremony were “team effort” and “persistence and patience.”

John Lipton, chairman of the intermodal facility board, was not aware until the dedication that the access road was being named in his honor.

The full project encompasses 354 acres.

The funds will be used to construct water and sewer infrastructure for the new industrial park, which will support new and expanding industries. The project is expected to create 40 jobs and leverage $5 million in private investment.

SeaArk Marine, a company that manufactures boats, has outgrown its current location and plans to move to the new industrial park, and several other area businesses have expressed interest in relocating there as well. The companies will benefit from better access to highways, the Arkansas Midland Railroad and Yellow Bend Port.

“I am pleased to announce this investment in the Monticello area that will create local construction jobs and lay the foundation for long-term economic expansion in Southeast Arkansas,” Lincoln said. “Creating jobs and encouraging economic growth in Arkansas has been my top priority since I first took office, and I will continue to fight for funding that boosts Arkansas’s economy.”

“Strong water infrastructure can be a path to growth and economic development for a community,” Pryor said. “These funds will help Drew County support more businesses and create good jobs.”

“Developing our transportation and infrastructure system is key to boosting our state’s overall economy,” Ross said. “I am proud to help announce this funding because when we invest in our local communities, we invest in our future, attracting more industry and creating much-needed jobs for Arkansas.”

The intermodal authority has applied for a grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and one of the requirement for further consideration is a promisory “letter of intent” from an industry that would become a part of the facility. This part of the process of finalizing the grant process will hopefully lead to funding by EDA.

John Lipton, chariman of the SEARIA explained that the possible EDA funding could include a $1.9 million fund asset (grant), which would be required to be matched by $1.2 million of local support. Of that $1.2 million, approximately half would be “in-kind” improvements, estimated at $606,806. This would be accomplished by the installation of water mains and other projects that will be performed by the local entities.

The EDA money would likely be used for water and sewer work, as well as a water tank.

The possible SeaArk Marine re-location is the result of an on-going negotiation, which still will be “based on a lot of factors taking place, and many commitments being accomplished, many of which are out of the hands of SeaArk and the intermodal authority,” John McClendon of SeaArk Marine told MonticelloLive.

McClendon added, “It has always been our intention to modernize our physical plant, and to consolidate our operations into a more manageable flow.”

From a bystander’s perspective, although the letter of intent has been announced, there are a lot of hurdles that must be crossed before the “possible” move could become a “likelihood.”  If everything does fall into place, this process may take a couple of years, or it could happen sooner. Lipton told MonticelloLive, “I hope this become a reality.”

McClendon added, “I really appreciate the intermodal board’s continuing efforts, as well as all others that were involved, for trying to make this a reality for both SeaArk Marine, and for the intermodal facility.”